Caribbean flights seat bookings

[kevboy]

I know this topic comes up fairly frequently but how do some people manage to book seat locations several days before me?  Is the booking facility available earlier than P&O inform me that it is?  Any advice please, Also, can anyone advise on Prem Econ seating  pros and cons,  thank you  kev

[Megabear2]

10 minutes ago, kevboy said:

I know this topic comes up fairly frequently but how do some people manage to book seat locations several days before me?  Is the booking facility available earlier than P&O inform me that it is?  Any advice please, Also, can anyone advise on Prem Econ seating  pros and cons,  thank you  kev

Bookings open a midnight in the date P&O say they go on sale.  Normally every flight releases at the same time for a cruise so demand is very high - the website crashes a lot as everyone goes in and popular seats are put into many baskets at once.

 

It is a long and frustrating process. I eventually get in around 2.30 or 3.00am so not without difficulty I'm afraid. By 8.00 am most of the seats that are "desirable", ie sit together, are gone.

 

Premium economy costs rose this year, now £880 a couple for my January cruise.  The main benefits are extra legroom and wider seats and a quieter cabin.  At Gatwick you get to use the fast track security but not much else, can't say about other airports.  It used to be you'd have access to drinks throughout your flight but I understand that those in economy now also benefit from this too. The other "benefit" is leaving the aircraft first but I'm unsure if this is really good!  You do get on the first bus down to the terminal at the port but for the last two trips I've been on the coaches have travelled in convoy and ironically first became last so the port queue you are last!

Personally I like the quieter cabin and the bigger seats but now the costs are rising in not so sure the value is as good as it could be.

[Thejuggler]

For me the only benefit of premium economy are larger seats and ability to recline and have better sleep.  Better food, drinks, larger screens etc really aren't of interest.

[tring]

The Peninsular club details say Ligurian/Baltic members have priority seat booking for Caribbean flights.  I have no idea how that works, but perhaps someone could enlighten us about it as seems to be about the only benefit of Baltic level.  After our next cruise we will only be a few days short of that so wondering if it is worth spotting on a shortie.

 

[doog442]

Who do P&O use for Caribbean flights from LGW ?

 

When are these flights 'released'.

 

What happens if you book through someone other than P&O. Are they available on manage my booking on the P&O site ? 

 

We've previously booked last minute from brum (TUI) and just go with the flow, however If its Virgin from LGW they run flying sheds and seat choice is important. 

 

Cheers.

[Megabear2]

2 hours ago, doog442 said:

Who do P&O use for Caribbean flights from LGW ?

 

When are these flights 'released'.

 

What happens if you book through someone other than P&O. Are they available on manage my booking on the P&O site ? 

 

We've previously booked last minute from brum (TUI) and just go with the flow, however If its Virgin from LGW they run flying sheds and seat choice is important. 

 

Cheers.

Generally TUI to Barbados.  Last year the Antigua flights to join Arvia were from Heathrow on Virgin charters.  I had notification a couple of weeks ago that my flights to Barbados would be confirmed "imminently" and they have just appeared!  I can confirm TUI flights from Gatwick.  We are allocated the second flight at 11.10, returning 18.20.

 

If you book a P&O cruise with the flight included you will get a link through manage my booking when the flights are allocated regardless of if you use a t/a or go direct.  If having booked through a t/a you decide to upgrade to premium you have to do so via your agent. 

 

My P&O will advise you (and generally an email too) when your seats will be released for reservation.  There is a charge for picking and reserving your seat, this also comes on top of any premium upgrade.

Edited July 31, 2023 by Megabear2

[Presto2]

18 hours ago, Megabear2 said:

Generally TUI to Barbados.  Last year the Antigua flights to join Arvia were from Heathrow on Virgin charters.  I had notification a couple of weeks ago that my flights to Barbados would be confirmed "imminently" and they have just appeared!  I can confirm TUI flights from Gatwick.  We are allocated the second flight at 11.10, returning 18.20.

 

If you book a P&O cruise with the flight included you will get a link through manage my booking when the flights are allocated regardless of if you use a t/a or go direct.  If having booked through a t/a you decide to upgrade to premium you have to do so via your agent. 

 

My P&O will advise you (and generally an email too) when your seats will be released for reservation.  There is a charge for picking and reserving your seat, this also comes on top of any premium upgrade.

That's really helpful. Thanks. We decided to stick with our cruise in January so we will keep checking now. 😀

[Presto2]

16 minutes ago, Presto2 said:

That's really helpful. Thanks. We decided to stick with our cruise in January so we will keep checking now. 😀

We've just checked and now have times leaving 11.05am Manchester and arriving 15.50h. Can't book our seats yet though. 

Looks like we'll have to race you to the speciality dining ....can't see .any left by the time we board. Any idea what time we will be leaving Barbados that day?

Pps The speciality restaurants are now saying coming soon not please enquire on board like it did for our Norway cruise so fingers crossed.

Edited August 1, 2023 by Presto2

[carlanthony24]

34 minutes ago, Presto2 said:

We've just checked and now have times leaving 11.05am Manchester and arriving 15.50h. Can't book our seats yet though. 

Looks like we'll have to race you to the speciality dining ....can't see .any left by the time we board. Any idea what time we will be leaving Barbados that day?

Pps The speciality restaurants are now saying coming soon not please enquire on board like it did for our Norway cruise so fingers crossed.

Normally leave Barbados around 9PM but can leave later depending if any flights are late. Knowing Manchester you might end up departing over an hour late. Last year took off 12:30PM landed 16:30ish

[Megabear2]

1 hour ago, Presto2 said:

We've just checked and now have times leaving 11.05am Manchester and arriving 15.50h. Can't book our seats yet though. 

Looks like we'll have to race you to the speciality dining ....can't see .any left by the time we board. Any idea what time we will be leaving Barbados that day?

Pps The speciality restaurants are now saying coming soon not please enquire on board like it did for our Norway cruise so fingers crossed.

Generally sail around 6.00pm, Captain announcement 5.00pm or thereabouts however everything will br subject to the planes getting in on time.  Last year there were massive delays and we sailed late - we were in bed.  

 

Seat bookings generally go live after final payment date. We could book 23 September last year for our 16 December  sailing for example.

 

Interesting about the restaurants, certainly a good sign.  Perhaps they listened to my whinge when I spoke to them in June when they did the follow up call from my Feefo review!

[Presto2]

26 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

Generally sail around 6.00pm, Captain announcement 5.00pm or thereabouts however everything will br subject to the planes getting in on time.  Last year there were massive delays and we sailed late - we were in bed.  

 

Seat bookings generally go live after final payment date. We could book 23 September last year for our 16 December  sailing for example.

 

Interesting about the restaurants, certainly a good sign.  Perhaps they listened to my whinge when I spoke to them in June when they did the follow up call from my Feefo review!

My emails recently have been pretty blunt. Hoping they are getting the message...

[Presto2]

Ps have not been asked for any review for out last cruise........

[doog442]

On 7/31/2023 at 11:16 PM, Megabear2 said:

Generally TUI to Barbados.  Last year the Antigua flights to join Arvia were from Heathrow on Virgin charters.  I had notification a couple of weeks ago that my flights to Barbados would be confirmed "imminently" and they have just appeared!  I can confirm TUI flights from Gatwick.  We are allocated the second flight at 11.10, returning 18.20.

 

If you book a P&O cruise with the flight included you will get a link through manage my booking when the flights are allocated regardless of if you use a t/a or go direct.  If having booked through a t/a you decide to upgrade to premium you have to do so via your agent. 

 

My P&O will advise you (and generally an email too) when your seats will be released for reservation.  There is a charge for picking and reserving your seat, this also comes on top of any premium upgrade.

 

Many thanks, Just looked and its TUI 1005hrs from Gatwick for our Jan cruise to Barbados. I don't mind TUI economy, I can cope with the 33" leg room, 2" more than our last Virgin flight to the Caribbean. 

[purplesea]

We have just booked on Arvia's transatlantic and upgraded. I enquired, while booking, of the flight time from Gatwick and was told 11.20am but it was subject to change, but have no other details. 

[kevcharben]

We fly 11-10 from Gatwick on 13th Jan.

 

We have upgraded on the 3 other occasions we have flown to the Carribean on a fly cruise.

The cost of almost £900 for the seat upgrade is way too much, it looks like I will cram my self into economy, and spend the money saved on something else.

[Presto2]

We are flying TUI on the 13th January. Can someone confirm when we can book the seats as we need to make.sure we are at home and stay up late. We think it is 6th or 7th October.  Don't want to stay up for nothing wrong night 😉

[Pencil62]

54 minutes ago, Presto2 said:

We are flying TUI on the 13th January. Can someone confirm when we can book the seats as we need to make.sure we are at home and stay up late. We think it is 6th or 7th October.  Don't want to stay up for nothing wrong night 😉

I believe it will be from midnight on the morning of 7th October. We fly TUI on Dec 1st and were able to book 14 weeks prior. We didn't stay up but we did book around 8o'clock the following morning and I guess only around 25% had already gone.  We were sent an email a few days beforehand that stated when booking would be open. 

[Megabear2]

1 hour ago, Presto2 said:

We are flying TUI on the 13th January. Can someone confirm when we can book the seats as we need to make.sure we are at home and stay up late. We think it is 6th or 7th October.  Don't want to stay up for nothing wrong night 😉

7th. You will need midnight of 6th to be at opening.  See you in the queue!!!

[bee-ess]

On 8/1/2023 at 5:34 PM, Presto2 said:

We've just checked and now have times leaving 11.05am Manchester and arriving 15.50h. Can't book our seats yet though. 

Looks like we'll have to race you to the speciality dining ....can't see .any left by the time we board. Any idea what time we will be leaving Barbados that day?

Pps The speciality restaurants are now saying coming soon not please enquire on board like it did for our Norway cruise so fingers crossed.

Scheduled to leave at 21:00 on the Saturday if all the planes are in, if not they wait for the planes. These are the times P&O gave me for our cruise in Feb - we are Fri-Fri.

 

 

 

 

[Presto2]

On 9/22/2023 at 10:40 PM, Megabear2 said:

7th. You will need midnight of 6th to be at opening.  See you in the queue!!!

See you soon Megabear.  Have set our watches to wake us up about 11.30 pm. !

[Presto2]

Sorry this may have been answered before but I can't find it. Can we log on to the flights part where we book on 3 different systems .. eg a phone and 2 different laptops. Don't fancy trying for 3 hours ... sorry if it is cheating. 

[kalos]

35 minutes ago, Presto2 said:

Sorry this may have been answered before but I can't find it. Can we log on to the flights part where we book on 3 different systems .. eg a phone and 2 different laptops. Don't fancy trying for 3 hours ... sorry if it is cheating. 

 

Not sure but when one gets through to your turn close the others off .

On our last cruise I needed to ask a question before booking ,when I got through the Lady said " whilst I'm here I can book your holiday for you "

Great says I "can we have cabin xyz ? "  Sorry that cabin has been booked !!

I was gutted we wanted that cabin and it was there when I did the dummy booking only five minutes ago  and it's showing as ours .

The woman asked us to click onto another cabin and as we did she said "great the cabin is now available and yours.

I never knew it could do that , hope you get through soon ish when you try .

 

[Megabear2]

2 hours ago, Presto2 said:

Sorry this may have been answered before but I can't find it. Can we log on to the flights part where we book on 3 different systems .. eg a phone and 2 different laptops. Don't fancy trying for 3 hours ... sorry if it is cheating. 

I open multiple windows on laptops and tablet.  You can open as many as you can handle.

 

Tonight will be interesting, when I did my friend's one the other day it went straight in, no queue but then sat, bit like buying a concert ticket.

 

Good luck, I'll let you know how I do as well!!

[Presto2]

Just now, Megabear2 said:

I open multiple windows on laptops and tablet.  You can open as many as you can handle.

 

Tonight will be interesting, when I did my friend's one the other day it went straight in, no queue but then sat, bit like buying a concert ticket.

 

Good luck, I'll let you know how I do as well!!

Good luck to you too 🙂

All we need to do now is stay awake !

Will post on here once we get sorted !!!!

The competition is on 😉

[CarlaMarie]

Good luck @Megabear2 and @Presto2!